Alberta woman released from jail on fake documents says she’ll turn herself in on Friday

Mackenzie Dawn Hardy, who was released from the Fort Saskatchewan Correctional Centre in Alberta with fake documents, says she'll turn herself into police.

A woman who was released from the Fort Saskatchewan Correctional Centre (FSCC) because of fake paperwork says she will turn herself into police on Friday.

Mackenzie-Dawn Hardy, 24, was arrested in March by Red Deer RCMP and charged with:

• possession of stolen property over $5,000;
• two counts of possession of stolen property under $5,000;
• impaired driving;
• flight from peace officer;
• operation while prohibited;
• two counts of fraudulent concealment;
• possession of a controlled substance - meth;
• operation while prohibited; and
• two counts of failing to comply with a release order.

The Alberta Crown Prosecution Service say she was released from custody in late April after staff at FSCC northeast of Edmonton were shown papers saying her charges had been stayed.

Officials later learned those papers were fake.

• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

Hardy has been on the run for several weeks and posting videos to social media.

In an interview with CTV News on Thursday, Hardy said she didn’t know the documents weren’t real until she talked to her lawyer.

“I thought my bail got granted. I thought my charges were stayed,” she told CTV News.

“I was pissed when I found out. I was really mad. It’s stressful, because I thought I was free. I didn’t know. I’m on the run because of this.”

Hardy has been posting videos to TikTok about her situation for the last week.

Warning: Graphic language

“I was just expressing how I feel and my emotions,” she said, acknowledging they could cause her additional legal trouble.

“I think so, yes. But I’m not too worried about it.”

Hardy says she didn’t turn herself in earlier because she was afraid, but she’s been in contact with a lawyer and plans to turn herself in on Friday, calling it “the right thing to do.”

“I’ve been in contact with the RCP and a lawyer. We’re just working on the money situation right now.”

“Coming up with the money to pay my lawyer privately.”

Mounties say the public wasn’t originally notified about Hardy’s mistaken release because she was not considered dangerous.

An Alberta-wide warrant was issued for her arrest earlier this week.

With files from CTV National’s Kathy Le and The Canadian Press